Best MBA application tips?

There are always exceptions to the rule; however, I would estimate that over 90% of applicants accepted by the top 20 US Business School have at least two years of work experience. The admissions committee wants to see how applicants have performed in the "real world" prior to admitting them. Remember too that you will need two, and sometimes three, reference letters from people who have supervised you and can comment on your management potential and strengths relative to your peer group.

Here's a link to an article we published on MBA Prep School that delves deeper into the question of how much work experience is enough.

Also, check out the series of articles on the 5 Steps to Applying for an MBA. If you follow the steps we recommend, you will increase your chances of succeeding the first time around. There is also a video in our video course on how to strengthen your candidacy before you apply. It's free when sign-up for a free account at MBA Prep School.

Hope that helps!

Best of luck,
Tyler

You will need full-time work experience if you want a true shot at getting in. If you were a pharmacist instead of a technician (and had a couple years of full-time experience under your belt) you'd have a better shot. You don't have to be in finance in order to apply. However, you do need work experience that can translate into valuable class contributions.

Thanks for the links. As far as the 5 steps article when will Step 2 be published? Or do I need to sign up in order to view it?

Glad I could help.

All steps in the article are already published on our website, along with hundreds of others. Notice in the header of the article that there is a link to find all 5 articles in the series. Or you can click here: http://mbaprepschool.com/category/5-steps-dream-school/

Sign-up for our email newsletter on the top right of the application tips area of the site to receive weekly application tips in your email inbox. It's essentially a complete email course on how to apply for an MBA. Please let me know if we can help further.

Cheers,
Tyler

I'd like to provide some input because I know there are a ton of people who are looking to apply to a program but didn't have:

1) stellar undergrad grades
2) not a lot of work experience
3) low gmat

I applied to two professional MBA programs here in the Houston area and got admitted into both programs. One was Tulane and the other was Texas A&M. My profile is as follows and YES I am being serious:

1) 2.8~ GPA undergrad from the University of Texas at Austin (but with good reason)
2) 600 gmat, 6 AWA (studied for 2 days lol)
3) 8 months work experience
4) work in retail, looking to make a move into oil and gas

There are quite a few people who are somewhat in the same realm as I am so here is the best advice I can give you.

1) Ask yourself what qualities, traits and knowledge you can bring to the program. Take a step back and SERIOUSLY ask yourself this question. A question you are guaranteed to be asked if you get invited for an interview will be a variant of the following question, "what is unique about you that separates yourself from the rest of the field". You need to legitimately ask yourself this question before you even consider applying because if you are a cookie cutter type of candidate that has nothing special to bring to the table, there is a strong chance you will get rejected without an interview. I am no expert by any means, but there is a reason why you see stellar candidates who have 750+ gmats and 3.8 GPAs get denied. Especially when it comes to top 10 programs, I am sure they are looking for unique individuals who can be aggregated in order to form a truly great learning experience for everyone in the class. Not to toot my own horn, but I have one of the most unique resumes you will ever see with a ton of personal achievements.

2) You need to really invest your time and effort into your essays. I'm willing to speculate that the main reason why people end up getting rejected either with no interview or after the interview is because either their essays were absolute trash or because their interview was horrible (I'll get to this in a minute). Put yourself in the admissions counsel's shoes because those essays are their only utility to look into your soul and it allows the committee to get a sense of what type of person you are without actually meeting you. I STRONGLY believe that your essays are the most vital part of the application process, even more so than your grades and work experience.

3) Prepare for your interview if needed. The interviewers can smell fear like a shark smells blood in the water. Contrary to what I just said, I come from the school of thought where preparation isn't necessary if you are truly passionate about the subject matter, which in this case is business that will ultimately lead to career progression. I view preparation as a chance for the interviewee to fabricate lies and to spin the truth in a way that makes themselves more appealing to the committee. I DO NOT CONDONE THIS. Call me crazy, but if you are legitimately passionate about getting your MBA, the answers to the interviewer's questions should just roll off your tongue with absolute conviction.

4) Decide which schools would be your best fit and which schools you have an actual chance to get into. I'm all about ambition and naivety because without it, no one would have the dream to succeed, but be realistic. There is a reason why I didn't apply to the McCombs school of business even though I went to UT because the McCombs MBA program here in Houston is basically all oil and gas personnel. There is a reason why I didn't apply to a top 10 school because I knew it would be impossible to get in. Although this seems obvious, it isn't until you sit down and evaluate yourself.